Drainage system



April 16, 1935. J, LOCKHART LQQZSOI DRAINAGE SYSTEM Filed March 18, 1953 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DRAINAGE SYSTEM James A. Lockhart, Revere, Mass.

Application March 18,

' 6 Claims.

, This invention relates to a sewerage and/or drainage system, and more particularly to a sewerage system of the type installed in the streets and thoroughfares of municipalities.

It has been the usualpractice in the construction of sewerage systems to provide a series of catch basins beneaththe gutters at both sides of a highway or other thoroughfare, and to connect a pair of substantially opposite catchbasins of .therespective series with one of a series of cisterns located adjacent to thecenter of. the highway. and forming a part. of the main sewer line. .-.As 3 the pipe lines connecting the catch basins with the cisterns often become clogged or choked, and as there is danger of the main sewer line becoming clogged, it is necessary to provide each. cistern with the usualqmanhole through which access may be gained to .clear. either the tributary lines from the catch basins or the main line .between cisterns. Each of these cisterns must have sufficient capacity to accommodate the drainage discharged from the catch basins, and

\ accordingly-they are necessarily quite sizable, and take up, anappreciable amount of space in the center-of and below the surface of theroadvvay.

Ordinarily these cisterns are spaced apart the same. distancesas betweeneach of the pairs of catch basins, usually a'distance of about two hundred to threehundredfeet, but in localities wherev the catch basins are spaced apart greater distances'it is necessary to provide cisterns and manholesevery three hundred feet or more so thatthe main sewer line may becleaned out, if

necessary. H I 1 The-installation of such cisterns is not only an expensive undertaking but; as previously. noted, they:take upconsiderable-space which, in congested and built-up communities, is badly needed for other public-service installations, such as gas, water, electrical power and light, fire, police, telephone andtelegraph lines, etc. Furthermore, the manhole casing and cover in many cases constitute an obstruction in the center of highway which breaks the continuity of its surf-ace, particularly on macadamized or asphalted roadways which often settle after a relatively short period of use and expose the upper rim of the: thus; endangering traffic. Moreover, in repairing or reconstructing the roadway, the manhole. casings prevent the use of road building machines and consequently the cost of repairing cr-reconstmcting the roadway is appreciably in- The principal obiect of the present invention is to provide an improvedsewerage :and/ or drain- 1933, Serial No. 661,551

age system, which is of a more economical construction and less expensive to maintain than the systems heretofore used, and which overcomes the aforementioned objectionable features inherent in the present systems. Further objects relate to certain details of construction and will be apparent from a consideration of the following exposition of the invention.

In accordance with the present invention the usual series of catch basins may be provided on each'side of the roadway, each pair of opposite catch basins being connected so that one discharges intov the other, and the main sewer line is laid at one side and ata suitable grade and distance below the surface of the roadway so as to run directly through each catch basin of one series. Each of the catch basins through which the main sewer line runs is connected thereto in any suitablemanner, as, for example, by a Y connection, the inlet of which may be provided with a suitabletrap to prevent the entrance of large objects .into the main line. With this construction the necessity of using a series of cisterns into which the catch basins discharge is wholly eliminated, and the main sewer line may be run along and beneath the edge of the roadway, thus giving over the central portion thereof to other public service installations.

In order to, permit cleaning out of the catch basinsand the sections of the main line therebetween, as well as the lines connecting eachpair of catch basins, each part of the main line which runs through a catch basin is provided with a detachable section which normally constitutes an integral part of the main sewer line. Each of these removable sections may be provided with bell ends adapted to fit about the ends of the adjacent portions of the main sewer pipe which project into the catch basin, and the interfitting end portions may be so designed as to permit the ready removal and replacement of the section.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a highway or street showing diagrammatically a sewer system constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a catch basin showing the main sewer line running therethrough and the detachable section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the catch basin shown in Fig. 2; I

.Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through one end of the detachable sec tion and adjacent end of the main sewer pipe;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the detachable section shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a modified form of detachable section.

In the particular embodiment herein shown for the purpose of illustration the numeral l designates a highway or other thoroughfare which may be provided with the usual curbings II and and I2 defining the gutters. The usual pairs of opposite catch basins l and I6, I! and I8, etc. are disposed in series beneath the gutters and are provided with suitable gratings which may be removed to provide access tothe catch basins. Each pair of catch basins is connected by pipe lines 2|, 22, 23 etc. so that the catch basins l5, l9 etc. discharge into catch basins 6, I8, etc., respectively.

The main sewer and/or drain line is disposed at a suitable grade and distance below the surface of the roadway l0 and runs directly through each of the catch basins I6, I8, 20 etc. of one series, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The bottom of each catch basin is preferably several feet below the main line 25 so that gravel, stones and the like objects which are carried or washed into the catch basin may settle to the bottom, thus overcoming the danger of such objects being. carried into the main sewer line. The main sewer line 25 consists of a plurality of interfitting pipe sections, the section 26 preferably being built into and firmly supported in fixed position by the wall 21 of the catch basin, so that its end 28 projects a short distance into the interior of the basin as shown in Fig. 2. The section 30 may be built into the wall of the catch basin in like manner and its end 3| is cut at an angle as shown in Fig. 4. The end 3| projects into the interior of the catch basin, as shown in Fig. 3 and its lower half or periphery is provided with a concentric semicylindrical flange 32. The section 30 may, if desired, be provided with a Y or branch 34 which provides an outlet through which the catch basin may discharge into the main sewer line 25. A trap 35, secured to the wall 21, may be disposed about the end of the branch 34 to prevent the entry of large objects into the main line.

Intermediate the sections 26 and 30 and supported thereby is a detachable section 40, one end 4| of which is bell-shaped so as loosely to fit about the projecting end or spigot portion 28 of section 26. The opposite end 42 is cut at an angle corresponding to the angle at the end 3| of section 30, and its upper half or periphery is provided with a concentric semi-cylindrical bell 45 complemental to the bell 32 of section 30. When the sections 30 and are in assembled relation,

as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bells 32 and are complementary to each other and overlap opposite but corresponding end or spigot portions of the adjacent sections, thus providing complementary interengaging coupling members. The abutting ends 45' (Fig. 4) of the bells cooperate to prevent relative rotation of the sections.

The section 40 may be readily removed by swinging the end 42, about its opposite end 4|, upwardly away from the section 30, as shown by the dot and dash lines of Fig. 3. In order to facilitate the removal of section 40, its body portion may be provided with an eye adapted to receive a lifting hook 5|. Preferably the eye 50 is located between the center of the section and the end 42, so that lifting force applied to the hook 5| will first cause the end 42 to swing upwardly as shown in Fig. 3. The section may be easily replaced by positioning the end 4| about the end 28 of section 26 and then swinging the body portion back into position.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a portion of a sewer and/or drain main embodying a modified form of a detachable section having the same general construction and being supported in the same manner as the detachable section previously described. The ends of the fixed sections 26 and 3|] have the same construction as the end 3| of section 30, above described, and both ends of the detachable section 40 are cut at an angle and provided with semi-cylindrical bells complementary to the bells at the adjacent ends of sections 26 and 30. The section 40 may be provided with an eye 5|) which is preferably located at its center so that the section remains in a substantially horizontal position while being removed or replaced.

In a sewer system constructed in accordance with the present invention, the main sewer line runs continuously throughout its extent and the flow therethrough is only interrupted when one of the detachable sections'is removed for the purpose of cleaning out the catch basin and the lines associated therewith. It will be noted that even if the catch basin should become clogged to such an extent as to bury or cover the detachable section, the sewer main would, nevertheless, continue to function.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment of the present invention it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that various changes in shape, proportion, and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A system of the class described comprising a series of catch basins disposed in spaced relation beneath the surface of a thoroughfare, a. sewer main running through each of said catch basins, said main being'in spaced relation to the bottom of each of said catch basins, each part of the sewer main passing through a catch basin having a detachable section constructed and arranged to permit a continuous and uninterrupted flow therethrough, and means connecting each catch basin with the sewer main passing therethrough.

2. A system of the class described comprising a series of catch basins arranged in pairs along each side of a roadway, each of the pairs being disposed in spaced relation beneath the'suri'ace of the roadway, connections between each pair of catch basins arranged so that one discharges into the other, a sewer main running through each of the latter catch basins, said main being in spaced relation to the bottom of each of said latter catch basins, and means connecting each of the latter catch basins with the sewer main passing therethrough.

3. A system of the class described comprising a series of catch basins arranged in pairs along each side of a roadway, each of the pairs being disposed in spaced relation beneath the surface of the roadway, connections between each pair of catch basins arranged so that one discharges into the other, a sewer main running through each of the latter catch basins, said main being in spaced relation to the bottom of each of said latter catch basins, each part of the sewer main passing through a catch basin having a detachable section constructed and arranged to permit a continuous and uninterrupted flow therethrough, and means connecting each of the latter catch basins with the sewer main passing therethrough.

4. In a system of the class described, a catch basin, a sewer main running through said catch basin, said sewer main comprising a plurality of pipe sections having interengaging end portions, the end portions of two of said sections being out at an angle to the axis of said main and provided with complementary semi-cylindrical bells constructed and arranged to permit one of said sections to be detached, and a branch pipe connected to one of said sections to provide an outlet through which said catch basin discharges into said sewer main.

5. In a system of the class described, a catch basin, a sewer main running through said catch basin, said sewer main comprising a plurality of pipe sections including a detachable section disposed within the confines of said catch basin intermediate the projecting ends of fixed sections of said main, one end of said detachable section and the adjacent end of one of said fixed sections being cut at an angle to the axis of said main and provided with complementary bellshaped portions constituting interengaging coupling members, and a branch pipe connected to one-of said sections to provide an outlet through which said catch basin discharges into said sewer main.

6. In a system of the class described, a catch basin, a sewer main running through said catch basin, said sewer main comprising a plurality of pipe sections including a detachable section disposed within the confines of said catch basin intermediate the projecting ends of fixed sections of said main, one end of said detachable section having a bell and spigot connection with one of the fixed sections and the opposite end of said detachable section and the projecting end of the other of said fixed sections having complementary bell-shaped portions cut at an angle, said bell shaped portions providing interengaging coupling members permitting said detachable section to be removed and replaced, and a branch pipe integral with one of said sections and providing an outlet through which said catch basin may discharge into said sewer main.

JAMES A. LOCKHART, 

